Art Competition

Art Competition

Each spring, a nation-wide high school arts competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional District.

The Artistic Discovery Contest is open to all high school students in our District. The winning artwork of our district's competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit in Washington will include the winning artwork from all participating districts from around the country. The winning artwork is also featured on House.gov's Congressional Art Competition page.

The following is a summary of the Congressional Art Competition rules:

Artwork must be two-dimensional. Each framed artwork can be no larger than 26 inches high, 26 inches wide, and 4 inches deep. If your artwork is selected as the winning piece, it must arrive in Washington, DC, framed. Even when framed, it must still measure no larger than the above maximum dimensions. No framed piece should weigh more than 15 pounds. Accepted mediums for the two-dimensional artwork are as follows: 

  • Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc. 
  • Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (Charcoal and pastel must be fixed.) 
  • Collages: must be two dimensional 
  • Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints 
  • Mixed Media: use of more than two mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor, etc.
  • Computer-generated art 
  • Photographs

All entries must be original in concept, design and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image (including a painting, graphic, or advertisement) that was created by someone other than the student is a violation of the competition rules and will not be accepted. Work entered must be in the original medium (that is, not a scanned reproduction of a painting or drawing).

A full list of Congressional Art Competiton rules can be found HERE.

TO ENSURE YOUR SUBMISSION IS COUNTED, please note that it must adhere to all competition rules as laid out in the above link, be accompanied by a Student Release Form, and arrive to 401 North 31st Street, Suite 770, Billings, MT, 59101 no later than 5 PM MT on April 28, 2025. As such, please allow ample delivery time if you choose to send your submission vial mail.